The adverse effects associated with the use of antimicrobial agents include:

  1. Hypersensitivity or allergic reactions: In form of fever, skin rash, arthralgia, cholestatic jaundice or hemolysis. More serious reactions are agranulocytosis, bone marrow aplasia or anaphylactic reaction. (Most importantly in penicillin which requires confirmation)

  2. Resistance 

  3. Superinfection = (Opportunistic infection): Reactions related to alterations in normal body flora “penuomycystis etc…”

  4. Vitamin B complex deficiency may follow the use of antimicrobials e.g broad-spectrum antibiotics. It is due to inhibition of bacterial flora that forms these vitamins.

  5. Direct toxic reactions (organ toxicity), resulting from high doses or drug interactions, on hemopoietic system, liver, kidney, GIT, nervous system or CVS.

Normal Bacterial Flora